The Adolescent Girl Holds the Key to Kenya ’s Economic Transformation and Prosperity

Dr Natalia Kanem, Chief of UNFPA, “We are steadfastly committed to our three goals: Zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and the elimination of harmful practices including violence that affect women and girls”. Credit: UNFPA TanzaniaBy Siddharth ChatterjeeNAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 31 2018 (IPS)Teenage pregnancy in Kenya is a crisis of hope, education and opportunity.The countdown to a New Year has begun. Can 2019 be a year of affirmative action to ensure hope and opportunity for Kenya’s adolescent girl? Consider this. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says that when a young adolescent girl is not married during her childhood, is not forced to leave school nor exposed to pregnancies, when she is not high risk of illness and death nor suffering maternal morbidities, when she is not exposed to informal work, insecurity and displacement; and is not drawn into an insecure old age-she becomes an asset for a country’s potential to seize the demographic dividend.So what is the demographic dividend?It means when a household has fewer children that they need to take care of, and a larger number of people have decent jobs, the household can save and invest more money. Better nutrition, education and opportunities and more disposable income at the household level. When this happens on a large scale, economies can benefit from a boost of economic growth.One of the goals of development policies is to create an environment for rapid economic grow...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Crime & Justice Development & Aid Education Featured Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Human Rights Labour Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Women's Health Source Type: news